Review: Plush are the future of rock on debut album

“Plush," Plush (Pavement Entertainment)

I no longer fear for the future of rock 'n' roll: It is in the capable hands of the four young ladies of Plush, perhaps the heaviest all-female rock group ever to put pick to string, and whose debut album could be the best album of 2021.

Imagine Pink singing for Metallica, and that just scratches the surface of the Plush sound.

You probably don't know the name lead singer Moriah Formica yet — but you will, and soon. It will be in the same sentence with some of the greatest female vocalists — make that vocalists, period — of all time, including Ann Wilson of Heart and Pat Benatar, whose songs Formica used to cover as a teenager in rock clubs with only an acoustic guitar. The arena has not been built with a roof high enough to contain her soaring, multi-octave vocals.

The next song Formica writes about a happy romantic relationship will be the first: This disc is laden with pain-filled laments and rages, including the infectious first single, “Hate.” There are songs about partners who abuse substances (“Sober,”) cheat (“Why Do I Even Try”) and lie ("Don't Say That.") But almost all of them end in messages of female empowerment in which the protagonist realizes she's in a bad situation, cuts her losses and leaves to look for a better life ("Found a Way," “Better Off Alone” and “Walk Away.”)

Instrumentally, Formica, who also plays rhythm guitar; bassist Ashley Suppa; lead guitarist Bella Perron and drummer Brooke Colucci, all of them under the age of 21, play like accomplished veterans who hit as hard as anyone out there.

The kids are way better than all right: They could be the future of rock.